RECALL ALERT
A Heated Debate
Sale of the Controversial Herb Ephedra
Will Become Illegal on April 12th
 This Newsletter is my way of sharing information helpful to keeping you and your family safe, informed, empowered or entertained. John Bisnar |
- Many supporters claim that when combined with caffeine, the dietary supplement Ephedra lowered body weight, fat and body mass index.
- Researchers at Harvard and Columbia Universities found Ephedra (also known as Ma Huang), “Safe and Effective” in combating excess weight and promoting increased health.
- Conservative estimates indicate that over three billion servings of Ephedra products are consumed each year.
- Opponents claim adverse effects of Ephedra can include insomnia, nervousness, rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure, heart attack, seizure, stroke, and death.
- In a recent study researchers claim Ephedra left several permanently injured and killed three.
The Ruling
In December 2003, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in cooperation with the Department of Health and Human Services announced their intention to publish a final rule stating that dietary supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids present an unreasonable risk of illness or injury.
The FDA finalized the ban on February 6, 2004, announcing that the sale of ephedra will become illegal on April 12, 2004.
The Study
A recent report in the New England Journal of Medicine cited ephedra (which is related to ma huang, alkaloids ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, norpseudoephedrineas, squaw tea and Mormon tea) as the cause of hundreds of "adverse events" in people taking the substance.
The study found that side effects of ephedra can include insomnia, nervousness, rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure, heart attack, seizure, stroke, and death. The researchers reported that ephedra left several of those in the study permanently injured and killed at least three. Ephedra may cause other health problems in addition to those listed above.
Consumer Watchdog Group Prevails
In 1994, a Federal law made it much more difficult for the FDA to effectively regulate ephedra. Many hoped that the information contained in the recent study discussed above would assist the FDA in its regulatory efforts regarding the substance.
In addition, the consumer watchdog group Public Citizen recently petitioned the FDA to ban all products that contain ephedra or ephedrine. It seems to have worked!
Physicians Fight to Keep Ephedra on Market
Heating the debate on the safety of ephedra, several studies say the supplement is beneficial. More than 20 physicians recently asked Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson to allow the continued sale of ephedra supplements because they believe ephedra products are safe and beneficial when used as directed.
In August 2000, a seven-member panel of experts completed a multi-disciplinary review of Ephedra and concluded that there is no association between serious adverse events and Ephedra when consumed as directed.
A study conducted by researchers at Harvard University and Columbia University also found ephedra safe and effective.
See Your Doctor
Don't hesitate to see your doctor if you have experienced serious side effects associated with ephedra or a related supplement.
Employee Profile
I am pleased to introduce Mary Evans. Mary is our legal assistant in the Financial Department. She is in charge of accounts payable, accounts receivable, and the processing of all settlement disbursements for Bisnar & Chase's clients. She negotiates the reduction medical bills when possible, handles all the settlement documents, and prepares the settlement checks.
In addition to processing all the settlement paperwork, Mary's favorite part of her position is meeting with the clients in person to hand them their checks when their cases have been resolved. She says, "I am the last person the clients get to see when their cases are finished…I enjoy that very much."
Mary came to Bisnar & Chase seven months ago and absolutely fit in immediately. It feels like she has been with us forever. She says, "I felt part of the team the minute I walked in the door."
Mary has been happily married to her husband, a professional jazz musician, for nine years. In her spare time she enjoys working out with weights, running, and gardening and is a movie buff. She is very proud to be an ovarian cancer survivor and is an inspiration to all of us. Mary we are so happy to have you on the Bisnar & Chase team!
If you have important information, or an empowering or funny story that you would like to share with my readers please email it directly to me at: jbisnar@bestattorney.com.
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